NEW YORK – It seems that Grammy Awards 2025 it can be a different kind of awards show. Beyoncé leads the nominations with 11, bringing his career total to a record 99 nominations. There is an incredible the diversity of the genres represented in the majors, and women continue to be successful. So…who didn’t make the cut? What were the best surprises of all? Let’s take a look.

The country is cool again… and it looks a little different.

Country music entered other prominent genres, and the Recording Academy took note. Country hybridists — like Beyoncé, Post Malone and first-time nominee Shaboozey — have led many nominations, domestically and beyond.

But that means traditionalists may not see rewards: Favorites at the CMA Awards Cody Johnson’s “Leather” and Luke Combs’ “Fathers & Sons” had no nominations. The latter shouldn’t come as much of a surprise: Comb’s hit cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” wasn’t nominated for record of the year at the 2024 Grammys, though it did pick up an award for best solo country performance. .

This year also marks the first nominations for Malone and Beyoncé in the country categories.

The Beatles are back

Who saw this one coming? The Beatles’ last new song, assisted by AI “Now and Then” is the record of the year. Released in 2023, the song used artificial intelligence to extract John Lennon’s vocals from an old demo. It’s the same technology used to separate the Beatles’ vocals from background sounds during the making of director Peter Jackson’s 2021 documentary series, The Beatles: Get Back.

Last summer, the Recording Academy announced a series of changes to the The Grammy Awardsincluding new protocols involving technological advances in machine learning. It made headlines: “Only human creators” could win the music industry’s top honor in a ruling aimed at the use of artificial intelligence in popular music. At the 2025 Grammys, those changes are clearly in action.

Album of the year gets a facelift

Last year’s album of the year category was dominated by pop women — and it’s on, with Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX rave-ready approach to the genre receiving noms. The latter is a pleasant surprise (more on that below), but the two male nominees are creative outliers. OutKast André 3000’s experimental jazz flute album ‘New Blue Sun’ is a contender, as is Djesse Vol. 4”, although this one may occupy a space left vacant by Jon Batiste.

BRAT summer is forever

Charli XCX, who has never received a Grammy solo artist nomination, is up for seven awards at the 2025 ceremony. These include record and album of the year, as well as pop solo and pop duo/group performance, pop dance recording, dance/electronic album and video. Of course, her the culture changing ‘BRAT’ album — and the one summer of memes inspired – continued to wield real influence.

Excited – and no doubt surprising – first-time nominees

There is no shortage of first-time nominees this year. Some were expected – like Roan, Carpenter and Shaboozey – others less so. Willow Smith she received her first nomination in the category arrangements, instruments and vocals for her arrangement of the song “bigfeeling s”. Linda Martell, the country’s first commercially successful black female musician, is featured alongside Shaboozey on Beyoncé’s “SPAGHETTII,” which is in the melodic rap performance category. This gives the progenitor her first Grammy nomination at the age of 83.

And finally, Morgan Wallen – undoubtedly one of the most popular musicians in the country and one full of controversy — received his first two Grammy nominations for his take on Malone’s “I Had Some Help.” Last year, his song “Last Night” was nominated for Best Country Song, but that’s a songwriter’s award, and Wallen didn’t get a nod.

In the past, the country singer has been absent from nominations. In 2021, after a video of him surfaced using a racial slurhe was disqualified or limited from several awards and received no Grammy nominations for his bestseller “Dangerous: The Double Album.”

Latin music is missing from the top categories…again

Like last year, Latin music is absent from the top categories at the 2025 Grammys despite a surplus of eligible talent: Peso Pluma’s “Éxodo,” Shakira’s “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran,” Residente, “Las Letras Ya No Importan ” Carín León “Boca Chueca, Vol. 1” and by Bad Bunny “Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana” among them.

No K-pop?

Same as above: K-pop also seems to be absent. No nominations for BTS members who released solo material this year: RM’s “Right Place, Wrong Person” “Street Hope” by J-Hope Vol. 1” and Jimin’s “Muse”. As a boy band, BTS has received five nominations throughout their career.

One landmark artist nomination

Despite being one of the big global superstars of today – regularly celebrated as one of the the most listened to artists on the planet — Bad Bunny’s “Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana” received a single nomination, for urban música album.

And Usher, who has had a successful year – including a star-studded Super Bowl halftime show — also received a single nomination, for R&B album.

…And none for others

in pop Dua Lipa’s ‘Eternal Optimism’ nowhere to be seen. in the country best new artist, Megan Moroney received no nominations. In R&B, Normani’s long-awaited debut album, “Dopamine,” failed to make waves with voters, and in rap, “Pink Friday 2” by Nicki Minaj and “Megan” by Megan Thee Stallion are absent.

The end of Jack Antonoff’s reign?

Last year, Jack Antonoff took home producer of the year, non-classic for the third year in a row, tying Babyface as the only producer to do so back-to-back. This year, he didn’t get a nod in that category — one he’s held a spot in since 2019. Who will take up the mantle?

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The 2025 Grammy Awards will air live on February 2 on CBS and Paramount+ from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.